A Solid Promise
by MizWrite
Summary: Natsu's team, along with Juvia and Gajeel take on a job to destroy a time machine. But, what happens when Juvia gets caught up in the machine's effects, and has a run in with three very familiar ice mages? Gruvia & Lyvia Gray x Juvia Juvia x Lyon.


_Author's note: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and favorited "To My Cute Pupil!" It made me really happy that people liked that story so much. Here's the other one-shot I promised. A warning, the romance in this is incredibly subtle. But, you'll see why soon enough. :P_

"What is that?" Lucy asked in awe, as the group of mages walked through the cavernous hall of the cave. All of their attention was drawn towards the center of the room, where there stood a huge mechanism. It was incredibly aged and tarnished, but there were hints of gold that peeked beneath the many layers of grime and dust.

Natsu approached the machine and sniffed it. "I don't like the smell of this thing," he said suspiciously.

"The same could be said for you, flame brain," Gajeel countered, also approaching the device. The machine towered over them, casting huge shadows on the cave floor, while the cracks in the cavern roof shed beams of sunlight all around.

"What was that?!" Natsu fired up, his fist clenched.

"Natsu, be quiet," Erza chastened, as she approached the machine herself. She squinted her eyes at what looked like the control panel. "It's hard to make out," she said, as she pulled Natsu by the fist over to her side. "Light," she commanded, and he obliged, his fist bursting into flame, so that Erza could see better.

"Is it really a time machine?" Wendy asked, fear in her voice, as she approached cautiously.

"There's no way it really is," Gray said doubtfully, as he looked over Erza's shoulder, knocking a few pieces of crusted dirt loose from the machine's sides. They fell to the ground in a clatter.

"Don't touch anything!" Erza reprimanded, as Gray took a step back. "We don't want to set it off."

Gray grimaced. "Come on, Erza, you don't really believe this thing works, do you?"

"I think Gray-sama is right," Juvia said, eyeing the machine skeptically. "If it had such power, why is it sitting abandoned in this odd place?"

"Maybe it's because it's dangerous, and someone went through the trouble of making sure it was forgotten about," Lucy reasoned.

"Even so, this Grant guy knew about it," Natsu said, still providing a light for Erza, as she continued to examine the machine as delicately as possible.

"Yeah, and he wanted it destroyed, didn't he?" Lucy countered. "And I think he's right. If this does really work, then imagine how much damage could be done if a dark guild got their hands on it, or something?"

"But, Mr. Grant said we needed to be careful not to accidently start it up. So, how do we break it, without doing so?" Wendy asked worriedly.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Erza said quietly to herself, as she carefully tried to remove some of the chunks of dirt that had crusted over what looked to be some type of keyboard.

"Ah, what the heck are we waiting for? Let's just bust the thing up!" Natsu said, and before anybody could stop him, he took his flaming fist, and rammed it with all his might into the control panel Erza had just been examining.

Erza jumped out of the way in horror, "Natsu!"

"Natsu-san, I don't think you should have done that," Juvia said, hastening backwards.

"You idiot!" Gray shouted, as he too backed away.

"What? He wants it broken, right? That's what Fairy Tail does best," he said grinning, and he gave the machine a swift kick this time. At this, a light clicked on beneath the grime, and a loud whirring sound began to emanate from the machine.

Natsu's eyes widened. "Uh oh..." A electric shock flashed outwards, and sent Natsu flying.

"Natsu!" Lucy screamed, as she rushed to him. She knelt on the ground at his side.

Natsu winced, one eye closed, looking up at the crackling device before them.

"Didn't I say we had to be careful?" Erza shouted in irritation and fear. She spread her arms wide, and pushed Wendy behind her, as several more sparks of electricity randomly shot out of the machine.

"Let's get out of here," Gray said, still inching backwards, as a spark flew in his direction.

Juvia's eyes widened in horror. "Gray-sama!" she called to him, and Gray dodged just in time. Juvia couldn't spare a moment for relief, however, as within seconds Gray was following the progress of another bolt that was heading straight in her direction. Juvia turned towards it, but it was too late. The last thing she saw before everything went black, was Gray's terrified face rushing towards her, and his hand outstretched.

Juvia felt cold. She was lying in something soft and wet. She opened her eyes. Everything around her was starkly white. She looked up into the cloudy sky, her eyes trying to adjust to the brightness of her surroundings. A snow flake fell on her face. She was lying in snow. She stood up. _Where am I?_ she thought, as she mentally reset her water body temperature to cope with the cold. How long had she been lying there, and where was everyone else? The last thing she could remember was Gray reaching out to her, and that bolt. _That's right, the time machine had gone out of control._ Had she been hit? She examined herself. She didn't look hurt. But she was sure she had blacked out. But where had all this snow come from? They were no where near any areas that were cold enough to produce this amount of snow fall.

Juvia looked around. There was snow, snow, and more snow as far as the eye could see. She tried calling out. "Gray-sama! Lucy! Natsu-san! Wendy! Happy! Gajeel-kun! Carla! Erza-san! Panther Lily!... Gray-sama!" Her throat was getting hoarser as she continued to call out. Finally, as silence insisted on greeting her every call, she had to accept that wherever she was, she had gotten separated from her party, so she started to walk forward. If only she had some general idea of where she was located. She didn't know what she was walking towards, or what she was leaving behind. It was very frustrating.

After what felt like a quarter of an hour of walking, she reached what was clearly the edge of a hill top, as there was a big dip into a snow-covered valley below. She was just about to begin making her way down, when she saw across from her two boys sliding down the hill from the other side. But, neither of them were sliding down the snow. No, they were skidding on sheets of pure ice._ Ice!_

Juvia watched as the white-haired boy slid skillfully towards the bottom of the hill, the black-haired boy only feet behind him on his own sled of ice.

"I beat you!" the white-haired boy said, reaching the bottom first.

"Big deal," the black-haired boy retorted as he skidded to a halt, though he looked annoyed.

"Don't be a sore loser, Gray," Lyon grinned, as Gray rolled his eyes.

Juvia's heart skipped a beat. _Gray-sama?! _ It couldn't be. Gray looked like he was seven or eight years old. That wasn't possible. And the boy with him... No way was that Lyon. _I must be hallucinating_, she decided, shaking her head, as if to clear it.

"Lyon? Gray! Where did you two get off to? It's almost time for lunch!" Juvia heard someone call, as a short-haired, and serious-looking woman appeared at the top of the hill.

_Ur-san?..._

"We were having a sled battle!" Lyon shouted up at her. "I won, Ur!" he bragged, as Gray frowned in anger, and looked away. His eyes met Juvia's, who's heart stopped.

"Yes, yes, very good," Ur said lazily. "Now, come back up here, and get in-" but Ur froze in mid-sentence, as her eyes also landed on Juvia who was standing stock still. It seemed like she was hoping to blend in with the snowy landscape, but failing miserably at the challenge.

Ur's brow knitted. "Hello? You there! Are you ok?"

Juvia merely stared unblinkingly back, and she was very aware that Gray was still looking scrutinizingly up at her. _This can't be happening,_ she repeated over and over again in her head, wishing it with all her might to be true.

"I said, are you ok?" Ur repeated more slowly and loudly, looking worried now. "Are you lost?"

At this, something flashed into Juvia's mind. _Yes! Lost! Perfect! _Juvia nodded animatedly, and Ur gave her a small smile.

Ur and the boys made their way over to her, Lyon looking interested as he climbed the snowy hill, while Gray looked guarded. Juvia did some quick thinking. _Ok, let's just say this is actually happening, and I really am face to face with a younger Gray-sama, Lyon-sama, and an alive Ur-san, how did I get here? Was it that bolt from the machine? Could it be possible that it really was capable of time travel? _As much as she didn't want to believe it, she could think of no other way for this situation to be occurring. _But, why here? _

Juvia swallowed nervously, as the woman and young boys reached her.

"So, lost huh? You weren't out in that blizzard we just had, were you?"

"Yes!" Juvia said, seizing on this excuse. And besides, it was perfectly true, otherwise, that she was lost, so she didn't feel too guilty lying.

"I see. It is hard to make heads or tails of this area when it's covered like this. I'm Ur," she said, holding out her hand.

Juvia took it, and shook. Ur was a couple of inches taller than her, and her handshake was firm, but her expression was warm and welcoming.

"I'm Lyon!" Lyon pronounced, standing up straighter as he did so.

Juvia couldn't help a giggle that escaped her lips, but she managed to cover it with a cough. It was very weird, after all, to be looking down at this small Lyon who only came up to Juvia's waist.

Ur gave a not so discreet kick to Gray.

Juvia gasped, but no one noticed.

Gray groaned, and shot Ur an angry look before muttering grudgingly, "I'm Gray."

Feeling weird about meeting a younger Lyon was nothing to seeing Gray as a child. It was very odd to be towering over this boy, who also happened to be the man she loved more than anything in the world.

Juvia smiled embarrassedly, and said, "nice to meet you all." This really was very strange. "I'm Ju -Julia!" she stammered, catching herself just in time. She knew that her real name wouldn't arouse any suspicion, but if this really was the past, it was probably best to use a fake, just in case.

"So, Julia, did you get separated from your companions, or were you out here on your own?" Ur asked.

"Separated, I'm afraid. I don't know where they are," she admitted.

"Well, the nearest town is that way," she pointed in the direction Juvia had just come from, but it's at least an hour's walk from here. Our cabin is right over that hill, though. You're welcome to join us, and get warmed up a bit, before making the trek back."

"Um, al-all right," Juvia said, before she could help herself.

Ur lead the way towards the cabin, with Lyon right behind her, and Juvia following along. Gray, his hands in his pockets, dragged his feet at the tail end of the group, leaving huge ditches in the snow. Juvia second guessed her decision as they got closer to the little wooden house. Surely it would be better to head to the town, and see if she could possibly find a way of returning back to her own time. But, on the other hand, if she was transported to this place, she couldn't believe it was just a coincidence. Maybe she was there for some purpose? But what? She looked at Lyon, who was smiling brightly at her. _He hasn't changed at all,_ she thought warmly, smiling back at him. She then looked back at Gray, who was trailing moodily behind them. Gray was never exactly the overly-cheerful type, but the Gray she knew was someone who was full of life, and who usually looked on the bright-side of things. Sure, he could be cool and brooding, but this younger Gray looked damaged. And Juvia had to remind herself that it probably was not that long ago in this time that Gray's parents were killed by Deliora, and his whole town destroyed. _Gray-sama... _

"Don't mind him. He's always sulky like that," Lyon said, noticing Juvia's concerned glances back at the young ice mage.

"Shut up!" Gray shouted, as he stopped walking.

"Make me!" Lyon taunted, also stopping to face Gray.

"The both of you shut up, and behave! What kind of impression do you think you're giving off," Ur said, indicating Juvia.

"I don't give a damn. I don't see why she has to come back home with us anyway," Gray spat, as he ran past Ur, and into the house, before she could aim another kick at him.

"Because I invited her, that's why," Ur shouted back at him through the open door, "and it's my house!"

Ur turned back to Juvia, sighing heavily. "Sorry about him."

Juvia shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she assured her, although she felt the uncomfortable urge to run in after Gray, and give him an enormous hug. She restrained herself, however.

"And you," Ur said to Lyon. "Stop pressing his buttons, will ya?"

"I wasn't!" he insisted. "It's not my fault he's so grouchy."

"Whatever," Ur said, not sounding convinced, as she ushered Juvia and Lyon inside, and closed the door behind them. The interior of the cabin was modestly decorated, but also homey and inviting. They found Gray sitting at the kitchen table of a small room that also doubled as the living room. His arms were folded on the table, and his chin was nestled in it. He glared up at them all, before his eyes rested once again on Juvia. She blinked and smiled kindly back, her gaze unwavering.

Gray continued to stare while Lyon joined him at the table. A good minute had passed between them, as Ur started up a fire in the hearth, filling the room with a warm glow. Eventually Gray, seemingly having, had enough of this staring contest, turned away from Juvia, a feint flush on his cheeks.

"Please, sit down," Ur said, indicating the chair across from the boys at the table. Juvia did as she asked, and she was now right in front of Gray. Gray immediately got up from the table, and headed to the couch instead.

"I wont bite, you know," Juvia said calmly, as she stared at Gray, who merely glowered back.

"He doesn't like people," Lyon confided to Juvia in less than a whisper over the table.

"I'm sure that's not true," Juvia said confidently.

"Yes it is," Gray corrected her from the couch.

"Don't bother," Ur advised, joining them at the table.

"Gray's just obsessed with magic. He doesn't care about anything else," Lyon explained matter-of-factly. "We're both training in ice-make magic with Ur. She's the best mage there is," Lyon announced, as Ur sighed.

"And here we go...," Ur trailed off, looking resigned, but amused all the same.

"But, one day, I'll be even better than Ur, and definitely better than Gray," Lyon said, his fist raised high, as if giving a grand speech to a legion of followers.

Juvia looked over at Gray, who she expected to react to this, but instead saw him staring fixedly in her direction, at a point below the table.

Ur had noticed this too, and following his gaze shouted, "where the heck are you staring?!"

Gray jolted up, and blushed fiercely, but looked defiant. "Nowhere!" he said at first, but then he looked away from them, and asked to the wall, "what's that thing on her leg?"

Juvia, alarmed, hurriedly tried and failed to cover up the Fairy Tail mark on her thigh, which was clearly visibly through the slit in her dress.

"A guild stamp?" Ur said to herself, noticing it now too.

"A guild?" Lyon asked, confused.

"Are you a mage, Julia?" Ur asked her, as Juvia looked back at her sheepishly, before nodding.

"You're a wizard too?!" Lyon said excitedly. "What kind of magic can you do?" he asked, as he leaned over the table, his eyes wide.

Juvia thought for a second. Was it alright to show them? Seeing Lyon's eager face, and Gray's failed attempt to hide his own excitement, she thought, _what's the harm?_ She smiled mischievously, before raising an eyebrow and answering, "try and hit me."

Without any hesitation Gray acted upon her words. "Ice-make lance!" he called, as a spear molded out of ice flew across the room, and straight at Juvia.

"Owwww!" Gray shouted, his head throbbing from the blow Ur had just dealt him.

"Oi! You don't hit guests!" Ur barked.

Gray looked up at her mutinously, his hands on his head. "She told us to!" he shot back indignantly.

But, it was Lyon's amazed voice that spoke up next. "Cool!" And both Ur and Gray turned to look at Juvia, who's shoulder and arm were partially gone. In it's place floated streams of water which were slowly rejoining with the rest of her body, and becoming solid once more.

"A water mage," Ur said slowly, a curious expression on her face.

Gray simply looked dumbfounded at the young woman, who's body was now back to normal.

"That's so awesome," Lyon breathed, entranced, as he reached his hand across the table to touch Juvia's. It turned transparent, as Lyon's face lit up, his hand passing right through her water one. "So, you're like, made of water?"

Juvia nodded, smiling. "Uh, huh."

"Wow..." Lyon said in awe, before turning to Ur. "How come you're not made of ice, Ur?"

"Why, aren't I frosty enough as it is?" she joked, as Lyon grinned.

"It would be cool, though," Lyon pondered, turning his attention back to Juvia.

"I think it's weird," Gray muttered, his arms crossed.

"Gray," Ur said in a warning tone.

"It's ok," Juvia assured her, looking kindly at Gray, who stared mistrustfully back. "It is pretty weird," she agreed. "But I'm used to it. Plus, it comes in handy."

Gray gave Juvia another wary glance, before sitting back down on the couch, his arms and legs crossed tightly.

"I bet you're really strong," Lyon piped up again. "But not as strong as, Ur," he added proudly. "You guys should have a fight. Bet Ur could freeze you solid!" Lyon boasted happily, as Ur rolled her eyes, and sighed.

"I apologize for this," she said to Juvia, who giggled.

"Actually, I'm sure Lyon's probably right," Juvia said, as Lyon beamed.

"See?" he said to Ur. "Still, you guys should totally fight. Ice versus water. I bet I could freeze you, too," Lyon said, standing up, and getting into battle position, his fist in his hand.

Ur stood up as well. "That's enough. We don't fight our guests either," she said firmly, but calmly, as she chivvied Lyon and Gray to the door. "Now, go and wash up for lunch. You're both a mess. "

"But!" Lyon protested, but Ur silenced him with a look.

"Now," she said, and Lyon sighed dejectedly.

Gray said nothing, as he followed Lyon into the bedroom. Before Ur could shut the door behind them, however, he gave Juvia one last look. Juvia smiled warmly back at him, and there was some other emotion in her eyes that Gray couldn't quite place.

Ur had seen it too, though, and she shut the door on them both, and went back to join Juvia at the table. "So," she said, after a long pause, as if she was trying to make sure Gray and Lyon were out of listening distance, "how do you know Gray?"

Juvia's face turned beet red. _She knows! _She thought fast. "No! Uh, well, I..."

"Damn, I can't hear what they're saying!" Lyon fumed from behind the door. Neither of the boys were making any attempt to clean themselves up. "They're whispering."

Gray shrugged, completely uninterested, as he sat picking at a mat on the floor.

"I've never met another wizard besides Ur. She's really pretty, isn't she?" Lyon asked keenly, the side of his head pressed against the door, to try and catch what the mages were saying.

"Who cares," Gray said indifferently.

"I see, so that's how it is," Ur was saying to Juvia, her expression understanding, but melancholy.

"Yes, our family moved many years ago, so I'm not surprised Gray doesn't remember me," Juvia invented widely, her heart beating fast, as she went on. "When I saw what had become of the town, well... I'm very glad that Gray is alright."

"We found him buried under the rubble of his home. I wont lie, he's been a handful, but he's a good kid," she finished affectionately.

"Thank you for taking care of him," Juvia said earnestly, bowing to her over the table.

Ur waved her off, "It's nothing," she said modestly. "Are you sure you don't want to tell him who you are, though?"

Juvia smiled and shook her head. "That's alright. I think it's best this way. Besides, I have to find my way back."

"You're headed to Magnolia, right?"

Juvia looked at her in surprise.

Ur pointed at the mark on her thigh. "Your leg that Gray was admiring earlier..."

Juvia blushed.

"That's a Fairy Tail guild stamp, right?"

Juvia nodded.

"I've heard good things about that place," Ur said quietly, resting her elbow on her crossed leg, and her chin on her fist, as if lost in thought. "I've never been a part of a guild myself," she looked back at Juvia, a wistful expression on her face, "but with two growing boys to take care of now, I suppose I have my hands full enough," she finished with a friendly laugh.

Juvia smiled back, her heart bursting with emotions she dared not express. So, she simply said, "they are very lucky to have you."

Ur look amused at the praise, and rolled her eyes in the direction of the bedroom door. "Try telling them that," she joked.

Juvia giggled.

"Well," Ur said, suddenly slapping her hand on the table, and getting up, "you'll be staying for lunch, right?"

Juvia was startled by the invitation, and stuttered, "oh! But, I-I really do have t-to - " but she was cut off by Ur.

"I insist," she said, her hand on Juvia's shoulder. "And I know it would mean a lot to the boys if you did," she added.

Juvia bit her lip, sighing softly, but agreeing in the end.

And so the quartet sat down to eat lunch. Ur prepared caramelized franks for everyone, and they all dug in.

Juvia tried to keep in mind what Gray had said the last time they had eaten this type of food, and opened her mouth wide, but as she did so, a large amount of sticky caramel fell onto the plate, and part of the table.

"You're messy," Gray said, eying her critically, a fist-full of frank stuffed in his mouth.

Juvia wiped up the caramel with a napkin, causing some of the paper to stick to the table as well. "I have no excuse," Juvia mumbled to herself, abashed.

"No worries," Ur said, taking a damp towel, and cleaning up the table. "It's almost impossible to eat these things without getting a mess everywhere. I think that's why they like them so much. One more excuse to get filthy. But, they're quick to make, and I get no complaints. And Gray, don't talk with your mouth full," she chastised, as he took a big swallow.

As they finished their lunch, Gray fell back into a moody silence, though his mistrustful glares in Juvia's direction had thankfully ceased. He seemingly had at least grudgingly accepted her presence for the time being. Meanwhile, Lyon regaled them all on how he'd one day be the greatest wizard there ever was. However, once he started trying to tempt Juvia into battling him, Ur felt it was time to wrap things up.

"That's enough now. Our friend has to get back to her companions. It's getting late, and you don't want to lose the light," she said to Juvia, while looking out of the window.

Juvia started, and realized that Ur was quite right, as the sun was beginning to set.

"And you two, I think we can get in a bit of training before nightfall, if you're up for it."

"Yeah!" Lyon jumped up excitedly.

Gray shrugged, but followed them out of the small cabin.

"Now, to get to town, you just head right, and when you reach a really big valley, you should see a frozen stream that runs along it. Follow that, and it'll lead you straight there," Ur explained, pointing, as they left the warmth of the cabin, and headed back out into the snow.

"Well, I guess this is where we say our goodbyes for now," Ur said to Juvia once she locked the door of the cabin behind them.

"Yes, thanks so much for all your help, and the food, and everything," Juvia said to them gratefully.

"Our pleasure," Ur smiled. "It was really great to meet you, Julia," she said earnestly, holding out her hand.

Juvia took it. "It was really great to meet you too, Ur-san," and she truly meant it. She understood now, more than ever, why Gray and Lyon held Ur in such high regard. She was most definitely a wonderful person, and an obviously invaluable comfort in the lives of these two young boys.

"Take care, and be careful," Ur said, withdrawing her hand. "I'm going to go see if there's not too much snow at the river bank. If there isn't, we'll practice there," Ur said to her pupils, gesturing to the left. You two say a proper goodbye now... And be nice," she reminded, as she walked off, and up the hill.

Juvia bent down, so that she was level with the two ice mages. She looked at the young boys, one excited and naive, and the other hurt and lost. What would soon come to pass for the both of them streamed through her mind at lightening speed. She wanted to say something to them, but she knew she couldn't, and shouldn't. So, she did the only thing she could think of. She hugged them both tightly.

On her right-hand side, Lyon was surprised and confused by the gesture, as the wizard held him to her. But, he didn't push her away. He merely stood there, his hands hanging limply at his side. Gray, on the other hand, was so taken aback by this move that he didn't have time to properly process a reaction, before she whispered softly to them both as she held them.

"I promise... it's all going to be ok."

At these words, Gray felt a jolt somewhere in his chest, and a flush rose to his cheeks. He pulled himself away from her, feeling both confused and angry as he stared at her, his eyes wide. _How dare this woman. Didn't she know that Deliora was still out there? No, of course she didn't. She didn't know anything about it. So, how dare she say something so stupid, and in such a reassuring tone. As if she could know... _

"Lyon! Gray! It's pretty clear! Are you coming, or what?" Ur's voice echoed over the hillside.

Lyon detached himself as well. He looked unsurely at Juvia, but merely smiled, and said politely, "well, bye."

Juvia smiled back. "Bye."

"Come on, Gray," he shouted to the black-haired boy as he ran past towards the hill.

Gray was still rooted to the spot.

Juvia bowed her head slightly. "Bye, Gray," was all she could say, as he looked at her in anger, and hurt, and possibly sadness. She wished she could clear it all away for him, but she knew that would come for him in time, and it was not her business to make it happen.

Gray didn't answer, but warily backed away a few steps, before finally turning from the young woman, and bolting up the hill himself.

Juvia stood up and sighed, dusting the snow from her skirt as she did so. She watched the two young boys make their way up the snowy hill, their feet kicking a path through the whiteness. Lyon disappeared over the top, Gray now close behind.

Truth be told, she really didn't want them to go. They were company. And she still didn't know how to get back to her time, and her Gray. But, she realized that if this really was the past, then spending any more time with them might be dangerous, as she could risk altering future events. However, if she had been sent there for a reason, maybe she was suppose to alter events. But, just as she thought this, she felt a strange sensation within her fingertips. She looked down at her hands, which were tingling, and she saw an odd glow emanating from them. She looked down at the rest of her, and the glow was slowly spreading to every bit of her. Was she going home at last?

Gray stopped at the top of the hill. He hesitated at first, but in spite of himself, he looked back around to where they had left the water mage behind. _She's gone?_ he thought, confused. There was no sign of her anywhere as he scanned the vast expanse of snowy ground. How could she have disappeared from sight so quickly? However, looking back at the cabin's front door, Gray thought he saw a feint glow surrounding the area she had been standing. But, when he blinked, the glow too had disappeared. Had he imagined it? He thought right from the start that there was something strange about this woman. Maybe she had been a ghost? Was that possible? But she was so solid... He couldn't explain why this woman mattered at all to him, but if he was being completely honest with himself, he so desperately wanted what she had whispered to them at the bottom of the hill to be true. He really wanted to believe her, because she sounded so sure. Feeling a little empty, he turned back around, and headed off to catch up with his teacher and Lyon.

"Juvia!" several people shouted as she reappeared in the cavern that contained the giant dirt-crusted machine, which was no longer sparking, but steaming instead, all of it's lights completely out.

Erza, Lucy, Natsu, Wendy, Happy, Charle, and Panther Lily came rushing up to her, with Gray in the lead, and Gajeel bringing up the rear.

"Are you alright?" Gray asked frantically, looking her up and down, as if to check that she had returned in one piece.

"We were so worried!" Lucy said, as Erza put her hand on Juvia's shoulder.

"What happened? Where did you go?" Erza asked.

Juvia looked around her. There were no longer streams of sun shining through the holes in the ceiling, and the mages all held torches for light. _Night must have fallen_, she thought.

"Go?" she repeated, in shock herself. So, she did physically leave the cavern?

"Yeah," Gray said, still looking very distraught. "That bolt of energy from the machine hit you, and you just disappeared in a blast of light. We thought..." he trailed off, swallowing hard, as if he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Juvia felt her heart lift at his reaction, and then tighten at the worry she had caused. "I'm fine," she said soothingly.

Gray seemed relieved, and only just realizing how close to her he had approached, stepped back hurriedly, clearing his throat.

"Juvia, I'm so sorry," Natsu said sincerely. "It's my fault."

Juvia shook her head, "No, It's ok, Natsu-san. There was no harm done."

"Nah, it _was_ his fault," Gajeel corrected, as Natsu raised a fist.

"I took care of it, didn't I?" he said, agitated.

"Yeah, you spent half an hour darting around, dodging bolts, while you tried to punch the thing until it shut down," Gajeel growled back.

"It worked, didn't it?" Natsu challenged.

"Yeah, great. Except if you hadn't punched the thing in the first place, we could have just pressed the self-destruct mechanism on the back of it, and been done with it, without it going berserk," Gajeel grinned tauntingly, as Natsu fumed.

"Enough!" Erza said firmly, standing between them.

"So, what did happen, Juvia? Where were you?" Lucy asked, trying to get the conversation back on more civil ground.

"I - I went north," was all Juvia could think to say. "How long was I gone?"

"Hours," Wendy answered. "We looked everywhere for you. We even searched the woods outside, and the surrounding town."

"We thought you had disappeared, Juvia," Happy explained, before grinning over in Gray's direction. "Gray was soooooo upset," he said teasingly, as Gray glared daggers at him, a red flush in his cheeks.

Juvia's heart raced happily as she looked at him.

"We were all really scared, Juvia, " Wendy insisted, as Carla nodded.

"I guess whatever that machine did to you, it's effects must have finally worn off, causing you to reappear," Erza rationalized gratefully.

"What do you mean you went north?" Panther Lily asked.

"Well, there was a lot of snow, so..." Surely, she couldn't tell them who she had met. They probably wouldn't even believe her. She wasn't even sure herself if all of what happened was real, or if it was some kind of illusion of her subconscious. But, clearly, she did physically go somewhere, if she had disappeared from their midst.

"So, it is a time machine, then?" Natsu questioned, excitement in his voice.

Juvia hesitated. "I'm not sure," she said vaguely, before quickly following up with, "I'm kind of tired," in an effort to change the subject.

"We should get out of here. Head back to the hotel, and rest up. It's been a really long day," Erza announced decidedly.

"Yeah, sounds good. Plus, I'm hungry," Natsu said. Happy aye'd in agreement.

"You two only think about your stomachs," Lucy sighed resignedly, but joined them, as they headed out of the cave, Natsu holding his fiery fists in the air to light the way.

"We're really glad you're safe, Juvia," Wendy said, as she and Carla passed by her.

Juvia smiled graciously. "Thanks Wendy."

The rest of the group filed out of the passageway leading back out into the woods where they had entered.

Juvia meant to follow, but was stopped by Gray's voice.

"You're really sure you're ok?" he asked again seriously.

She smiled at his concerned expression, but nodded again re-assuredly. "Yeah, I'm really ok, I promise."

Gray smiled back, but Juvia quickly started walking again, before Gray could shoot anymore questions at her. However, when she didn't hear Gray's footsteps following her, she turned around once more. Gray hadn't moved. Instead, he was looking at her, his brows furrowed in concentration.

"Gray-sama?"

Gray shook his head, blinking rapidly. "I... just had this weird feeling of deja vu," he said slowly. He stared at her intently, looking her up and down at one point, as if trying to remember something long forgotten.

Juvia blushed, but didn't say anything.

After several long moments Gray seemed to come back to himself, but there was a small smile on his face. "It's nothing, anyway, let's go get some food and rest," he finished, holding his torch aloft.

Juvia grinned mysteriously to herself, but Gray didn't notice. She made a noise of agreement, and followed closely at his side, her arm brushing his as they walked the narrow passageway back out into the woods.

* * *

Gray had traveled for miles after Ur sealed Deliora in her ice. He separated from Lyon almost immediately, as his senior fellow pupil had turned bitter and hostile towards him after Ur's departure. Gray was determined to find these stronger wizards in the west that Ur had spoken of, and hopefully someone could help him undo Ur's iced shell spell. If there was a chance of saving her, he needed to try. And so, eventually, after many tiring days of journeying without much rest, he found himself at a crossroads. A couple of signs marked the paths. One sign pointed in the direction of a town that said it was home to some wizard guild named Blue Pegasus. Beneath the name was a picture of a horse with wings, which Gray assumed was the guild's symbol.

_Wizards!, _ Gray thought thankfully. He then looked at the sign to his left, which pointed in the direction of a place named Magnolia. This sign said it was home to the wizard guild Fairy Tail, and it too had a symbol on it. As he looked at it, a vivid recollection of a a blue mark on a young woman's leg flashed through his mind. Gray's heart lifted momentarily, a feint flush rushing to his cheeks at the memory, but he steadied himself. He looked back at the Blue Pegasus mark. After just a second's consideration, and another glance at the Fairy Tail symbol, he turned decidedly left, and headed towards Magnolia.

Once he arrived at the guild, he hastened to ask the master about Ur's iced shell, but was met immediately with disappointment. He thought there wouldn't be an easy solution, but he couldn't help but hope. He looked down dejectedly.

Master Makarov, seeing Gray's expression, said, "this Ur must have meant a lot to you. Don't let her sacrifice be in vain. Join us. We could use an ice-make mage, and you'll find plenty of people here who'll help you become stronger. And I don't just mean physically or magically, but here too," and Makarov put a hand to his heart. "A guild, first and foremost, is family. And you'll find no better family than Fairy Tail," he said grinning.

Gray couldn't help it, he grinned too, and nodded.

"That's the spirit! Just head over to the bar, and they'll help you with your guild stamp, and then you'll be an official member," Makarov instructed enthusiastically, as Gray put his backpack down on a nearby table.

He was about to do as the master said, until he suddenly remembered something. He stopped, and took a good, slow look around the room. "Hey," he said, turning back to the master, "is there a water wizard here?"

"A water wizard?" Makarov repeated thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Hmmmm... We haven't had a mage who specialized in water magic in Fairy Tail for many, many years."

"Oh...," Gray said, sounding a bit disappointed. _So, she was a ghost,_ he thought, looking downcast. But, he didn't dwell long on this mystery woman, as a young brunette approached him from behind.

"Hi! You're new here, right? I'm... WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES?!"

"Huh?" he said, turning to face her, before looking down at himself. He was currently standing in the middle of the guild in just his underwear. "Ah!"

"What's wrong with you?" a still shocked Cana asked the embarrassed Gray.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" he said defensively, his face red.

Cana blinked, bemused. "How could you have not done it on purpose?" she asked weakly as Gray continued to scowl defiantly at her, but without making any effort to put his clothes back on.

Over the next few weeks, Gray, still grieving over the loss of his teacher, had soon made many new friends and rivals to busy himself in this great guild he had joined. And eventually, the water mage who had stumbled across his path all those months ago was lost in a mixture of new memories and adventures, so that Gray had even forgotten what she had looked like. It was as if she had merely existed in a half-remembered dream, and the only thing that remained with him was a warm feeling, and a promise that everything would be okay.

**The End**

_Author's Note: Another one-shot with Ur (I love Ur!), Gray, and this time Lyon. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it, as much as I did writing it. ^_^ I really wanted to write a situation where Juvia met Gray and Lyon while they were still with Ur, because I loved their family dynamic, but at the same time I didn't want to mess with the canon story too much if possible. I figured, if Hiro Mashima was playing around with time travel, I could too. ^^ Plus, I always really loved how Gray is essentially the reason Juvia joined Fairy Tail, and I thought, wouldn't it be fun if Juvia turned out to be the reason Gray joined Fairy Tail? ^-^ I mean, we know why Erza joined (Rob), and Cana came for Gildarts, and Natsu was found by Makarov. We know Gray knew about other wizards , but why join Fairy Tail specifically? Juvia has a persuasive leg hee! Also, as I said, there's really only a suggestion of romance here, because that's how I wanted it. Anyway, Gray and Lyon were both under 10 throughout the majority of this fic, so it would be weird otherwise lol! Thanks for reading! ^_^_


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